>>Side question- does Japan have some sort of cultural expectation in
>>regards to the 8th grade? In addition to Utena, the Eva pilots were in
>>that same age bracket as well as the Madoka cast, technically*.
>
>Seems likely. The Sailor Moon main cast are all around that
>age, too, and Magic Knight Rayearth. Kaname in Full Metal
>Panic! is only a little older. School doesn't work quite the same
>way in Japan, but that age range is a popular target demo, and in
>certain genres the creators like to set their main casts to the same
>age as the viewers they are most hoping to attract.

From what I hear, high school in Japan is pretty much the last hurrah you have in terms of freedom in that society. After that, you're an adult, you go to whatever training school or job you're expected to and then just work until you retire or die.

Of course, I got this information third-hand, so I'm probably drastically oversimplifying.